New York Times gives reporters iPhone 4, sees it as a “huge game-changer”

The New York Times has seen the benefits of having tons of video content on its web page, so it has decided to equip some reporters with the iPhone 4. We’ve seen just how well the iPhone 4 can handle video – some film students have even used the Apple smartphone to record a TV series – and it’s easy to load, transfer or send video content to just about anywhere from the device. It only makes sense that the NYT is equipping its reporters with a multi-purpose device that’s also a very capable video recording machine.

Editorial Director for Video and Television Ann Derry says that the publication has already used the iPhone 4 in Davos to record video, and that they have an app that allows reporters to upload directly to servers accessible from home base. She also says that it’s “a huge game-changer” in that these reporters will be able to get video and audio content from just about anywhere.

Apple is certainly doing a lot to help shape the journalism industry. Earlier this week we saw the launch of an iPad-only publication, The Daily, and its subscription model is reasonable enough that it could see a good chunk of subscribers signing up. Magazines and other news outlets have embraced the iPhone and iPad as vehicles for serving up content.

Now that journalists and reporters are using mobile devices to help them with their stories, we can expect to see video, audio and other content on the web much quicker and perhaps even as it happens more often. As we all know, getting news up as soon as possible and as it happens gives those who break the news a very competitive advantage – the iPhone 4 might help make that a little easier.

See the video interview with Derry below as she describes how the NYT will use the iPhone in gathering and distributing media content.